3 DeKalb daycare workers plead guilty after video shows at least 13 kids being abused

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Three women who worked at a daycare center in DeKalb County have pleaded guilty to charges related to more than a dozen kids being abused.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced on Wednesday that 28-year-old Alexis Renee Swain, 21-year-old Cori Chambers and 56-year-old Cassandra Artis Chambers had pleaded guilty to 35 counts between them.

Swain pleaded guilty to 29 counts of cruelty to children. Cori Chambers pleaded guilty to five counts of cruelty to children. Cassandra Chambers pleaded guilty to failure to report suspected child abuse.

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Channel 2′s Audrey Washington first told you about the alleged abuse at Apple Tree Learning Center & Academy when the women were arrested in July 2022.

Washington spoke to Kourtney Cheng, a registered nurse and mother who took her child to the daycare, who said her son came home one day with injuries on his face. She says the employees told her the injuries were mosquito bites.

Investigators say they watched three days of surveillance video from inside the daycare and saw the defendants abusing children on several occasions.

Both Swain and Cori Chambers were seen hitting, pushing and shaking children. Swain was also seen slamming children down on the floor, tables and cots.

Cassandra Chambers is the daycare center director who investigators say knew about the surveillance video, but didn’t report it.

The charges are tied to 13 victims ranging from six months to almost three years old.

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Swain was sentenced to 10 years with five to serve in custody, despite prosecutors requesting she be sentenced to 20 years with 15 in prison.

Cori Chambers was sentenced to 10 years of probation with the first 120 days on house arrest and 80 hours of community service.

Cassandra Chambers was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 80 hours of community service.

None of the women are allowed to car for any children who are not their relatives.

A fourth defendant, 78-year-old Cheretta Hull, has not yet been tried. She was indicted in Dec. 2023 on 19 counts of child cruelty.

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